Intrigue
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 11
“Wow,” Bella said as she gazed around the spacious, well-appointed apartment. Although tastefully decorated, it was immaculately clean—almost sterile looking, as if it hadn’t been lived in at all.
He gestured to the couch while walking into the open kitchen. “You thirsty?”
“Yeah, just water, please,” she muttered, stiffly perching on his chocolate hued, suede sofa. They hadn’t spoken a word on the drive to his apartment and the tension had built so much so that her mouth now felt like a desert.
Handing her the bottle of water, he sat beside her and smoothed his hands over his knees, not daring to touch her before saying what he needed to.
“What is this about?” she asked after taking a deep drink of water.
He looked at her, although he didn’t need to. He could feel she was scared—apprehensive, and strangely, resigned, as though she’d been expecting something like this all along.
He reached out, offering his hand, and to his relief, she took it. “I knew you before, Bella, from your time in Forks.”
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull her hand away. “I’m guessing I knew you too?”
He met her gaze. “Yes.”
“Were you—I mean, were we…”
He shook his head. “No, we were both with other people. You and I…we were more like acquaintances, though you were quite close with my…family. Most of them, anyway,” he finished under his breath.
Her eyes narrowed when he hesitated at the word ‘family’. “Just be straight with me, Jay, please? Quit tip-toeing around what you need to say.”
He studied her a moment, and she could see pain in his eyes. “How can I, when I’m so afraid to lose you? It’s clear you were hurt—so much so that you blocked it from your mind. I don’t want to hurt you, Bella. I never want to be the cause of your pain again.”
She sucked in a breath and her hand tensed in his. “Again?”
He nodded and turned his head in shame as she murmured, “Tell me, Jay, because I can’t understand how you could’ve hurt me so deeply if we were mere acquaintances.”
He looked back at her. “You were dating my brother—the two of you loved each other. At your eighteenth birthday party, I…tried to attack you.”
She blinked, a deep frown now creasing her brow. “No. I find that hard to believe. You would never…”
“It’s true, Bella.”
“No.” Her head shook in denial as she held his gaze and clutched his hand. “You wouldn’t, Jay. That’s not who you are. I feel it in my bones. There’s gotta be more to it.”
He sighed, his shoulders rising and falling as he tried to unwind the tension knotting his muscles. He was going to have to back up and explain. She needed to know what he was before she could even begin to understand…
“Bella, do you believe in the supernatural, sugar? That there’s a world outside of the one most people perceive?” He locked his gaze with hers. “Because there was a time when you did—there was a time when you knew of these things without a doubt.”
Her hand squeezed his, her eyes wide as she frowned at him. “Jasper, you’re really freaking me out here…”
He turned, bending one leg onto the couch as he held her hand in both of his. “I need you to have an open mind, but most of all, I need you to know, I’m not going to hurt you.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb gently stroking the pale blushing apple of it. “Please, just listen to what I have to say, and don’t run from me? Please?”
He watched as she processed that before jerking a nod. “I won’t. Whatever this is—you know how I feel about you. I won’t run, Jay. I’ll listen.”
His answering smile was sad and it made her heart ache seeing it as his hand dropped from her cheek. With one last hesitant glance, he murmured the words that would upend her world…again, “Bella, I… I’m a vampire.”
“Wow,” Bella said as she gazed around the spacious, well-appointed apartment. Although tastefully decorated, it was immaculately clean—almost sterile looking, as if it hadn’t been lived in at all.
He gestured to the couch while walking into the open kitchen. “You thirsty?”
“Yeah, just water, please,” she muttered, stiffly perching on his chocolate hued, suede sofa. They hadn’t spoken a word on the drive to his apartment and the tension had built so much so that her mouth now felt like a desert.
Handing her the bottle of water, he sat beside her and smoothed his hands over his knees, not daring to touch her before saying what he needed to.
“What is this about?” she asked after taking a deep drink of water.
He looked at her, although he didn’t need to. He could feel she was scared—apprehensive, and strangely, resigned, as though she’d been expecting something like this all along.
He reached out, offering his hand, and to his relief, she took it. “I knew you before, Bella, from your time in Forks.”
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull her hand away. “I’m guessing I knew you too?”
He met her gaze. “Yes.”
“Were you—I mean, were we…”
He shook his head. “No, we were both with other people. You and I…we were more like acquaintances, though you were quite close with my…family. Most of them, anyway,” he finished under his breath.
Her eyes narrowed when he hesitated at the word ‘family’. “Just be straight with me, Jay, please? Quit tip-toeing around what you need to say.”
He studied her a moment, and she could see pain in his eyes. “How can I, when I’m so afraid to lose you? It’s clear you were hurt—so much so that you blocked it from your mind. I don’t want to hurt you, Bella. I never want to be the cause of your pain again.”
She sucked in a breath and her hand tensed in his. “Again?”
He nodded and turned his head in shame as she murmured, “Tell me, Jay, because I can’t understand how you could’ve hurt me so deeply if we were mere acquaintances.”
He looked back at her. “You were dating my brother—the two of you loved each other. At your eighteenth birthday party, I…tried to attack you.”
She blinked, a deep frown now creasing her brow. “No. I find that hard to believe. You would never…”
“It’s true, Bella.”
“No.” Her head shook in denial as she held his gaze and clutched his hand. “You wouldn’t, Jay. That’s not who you are. I feel it in my bones. There’s gotta be more to it.”
He sighed, his shoulders rising and falling as he tried to unwind the tension knotting his muscles. He was going to have to back up and explain. She needed to know what he was before she could even begin to understand…
“Bella, do you believe in the supernatural, sugar? That there’s a world outside of the one most people perceive?” He locked his gaze with hers. “Because there was a time when you did—there was a time when you knew of these things without a doubt.”
Her hand squeezed his, her eyes wide as she frowned at him. “Jasper, you’re really freaking me out here…”
He turned, bending one leg onto the couch as he held her hand in both of his. “I need you to have an open mind, but most of all, I need you to know, I’m not going to hurt you.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb gently stroking the pale blushing apple of it. “Please, just listen to what I have to say, and don’t run from me? Please?”
He watched as she processed that before jerking a nod. “I won’t. Whatever this is—you know how I feel about you. I won’t run, Jay. I’ll listen.”
His answering smile was sad and it made her heart ache seeing it as his hand dropped from her cheek. With one last hesitant glance, he murmured the words that would upend her world…again, “Bella, I… I’m a vampire.”
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.